My Blood Runs Red
by KayRight
Summary: "Why do you wear red?" he asked; "I've already told you," Red responded; "But I want the real reason, now," he said smirking; Finally giving in, she told him something she had never shared, "I wear red to remind myself I'm human. They bleed black. I bleed red." The two years between S4 and S5 from Red's perspective. Full of adventure, fluff, and a little angst.
1. Chapter 1

Red awoke to the sound of loud screeching, or was it screaming, she couldn't be sure. The noise pierced through her jumbled thoughts and roused her to full consciousness. Her whole body ached, but she pushed herself through the pain. 5k, she needed to get to 5k – it was the only thought she could hold on to through the noise.

She planted her palms firmly on the ground below her and pushed. It felt like she was trying to move a stalled out car, but eventually, she was able to sit up. Through her deep gasps, she noticed the air tasted stale. She briefly wondered if the weapon Zona had used was the cause, but knowing she'd never have an answer, she let her questions drift away. Instead, Red turned her head to look for the others.

At first, her vision blurred and the whole world seemed to tilt, but eventually indistinct shapes began to take form. Sun Mei was crouched down over a body. From where Red sat she couldn't tell who it was, but the person seemed to be alive. They weren't moving but Sun Mei had moved their hands to their ears and appeared to be screaming something to them. Red realized the noise was still present. She pulled her hood up and then brought her hands up to her ears to muffle the sound. It barely helped.

Red looked around for the source. She needed to find 5k she didn't have time to deal with this, but the noise was so loud it was painful. She briefly remembered hearing it before going unconscious, and she realized it must have been what knocked them all out. She tried to focus in on the sound to find the source, but it seemed to come from all around her and Red still couldn't make out what it even was. It sounded like a scream but it was too loud and high pitched to be anything human.

10k came into Red's field of vision. He was stumbling but he was walking towards the short set of stairs where Warren had been before they fell. Red didn't see her anywhere and then she noticed Murphy was also gone.

"10k!" Red screamed, but she couldn't hear her own voice. She could only hear the noise.

She needed to go to him. They needed to find 5k. She had seen him jump before Zona's weapon had fired. The first shot knocked them all to the ground and then they had dropped whatever was causing this noise.

Red pulled her legs under her and attempted to stand. It took her a few tries but eventually, she made it up. Stumbling she headed towards 10k still desperately screaming his name, at this point not for him to hear her voice, but to hear it herself.

He was kicking at a large metal device. It looked almost like a large spider and its legs were stuck in the brick of the roof they stood on. Finally, 10k brought his boot down hard on its center and, all of a sudden, the noise stopped. He slumped down falling to the ground next to the machine. Red felt her own body sag in relief, she let out a breath and removed her hands.

"10k," Red said quietly and was grateful to hear herself, and ecstatic when 10k looked up at her. He quickly shot to his feet and ran in her direction. He had her in a tight hug within seconds.

"Are you okay?" he asked pulling away. His eyes were bugged wide the way they always were when he was worried.

"Yes. What happened to 5k?" she asked desperately even though she knew the answer.

"I saw him jump right before the attack," 10k said. He looked into her eyes and she knew he could see her desperation. The anxiety that she felt creeping up her gut and trying to turn into despair. Maybe, she thought, he felt it too. After all, besides herself, no one loved 5k more than 10k. "Let's get the others and then we're going to go down and search for him."

Red just nodded. She was so grateful that he understood. He knew she needed to find 5k. She didn't care about the alien tech or the Zona army. She just wanted to get her brother out of this alive.

Red and 10k ran over to Sun Mei. As they approached, Red realized the body she huddled over was Doc. He had started to move, but it was just a few twitches of his leg and he didn't sit up.

Red heard 10k say Doc's name under his breath and noticed he picked up his pace. As soon as they arrived, 10k was down on the ground by Doc's side. He pulled Doc's hand into his and leaned down over him.

"Are you okay, what happened?" 10k asked Doc whose eyes were open but he seemed to be a bit unfocused.

"Yeah, kid, I'm fine," Doc said. "I just hit my head pretty bad when we fell. Other doc here is patching me up."

"He should be fine. Just be disoriented and we shouldn't move him for a while," Sun Mei said. "Where's everyone else?"

"I don't know," 10k said finally taking his eyes off Doc now that he knew he was okay. "Warren and Murphy are gone."

"And so is that whacky space plane," Doc said. "Everyone else see that too?"

"Yes, we all saw the plane," Sun Mei said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Oh good for a second there I thought I was tripping on some Z weed," Doc said closing his eyes again.

Red tried to focus on the conversation, she really did, but her mind was on 5k. He had pulled out his 'wings' before the jump so it's possible he survived. When he was raised by the crows, he used to sore with them. The wings he had on his jacket allowed him to glide in the breeze and down from tall heights, but he'd never jumped from something as large as the mountain they were still on top off.

"We should go down the mountain and check for survivors," 10k said and the suggestion pulled Red into action.

"The man, Addy, Lucy, and…and…5k all jumped just before the attack," Red said. "We need to see if they survived. They might need help."

"We're really high up. It's highly unlikely that someone would survive the jump," Sun Mei said.

"Well, until we know for sure," Red said aggressively. "We need to check."

"Kid, Red, you both go down and check for survivors. We'll stay here until I feel up to making the trip down," Doc said. "Sun Mei will stay with me. Won't you, Sun Mei?"

"Sure, Doc," Sun Mei said softening her features as she looked down at Doc. "But we shouldn't spend too much time here. Who knows if they'll come back for us? After you check for survivors and Doc is ready to move, let's meet at a rendezvous point."

"Works for me," 10k said. He stood and jogged over to the ladder. He pulled himself up and then looked out for a moment. "There's a clearing of trees right on the water's edge just ahead. Let's meet there."

Sun Mei went over to look where 10k was pointing. Once she found the right spot she agreed.

"If we don't make it by sundown tomorrow then you leave us and we'll do the same."

"It's not going to come to that," Doc said.

Red wanted to agree with him but knew that in the apocalypse hoping to see friends again was a fool's errand. She saw 10k silently nod to Sun Mei before he turned towards her and indicated towards the stairs. Her instinct was to immediately set off in a run to get to the bottom of the mountain, but she hesitated.

"Say goodbye to Doc," Red said.

"We're going to see him at the rendezvous point," 10k said shaking his head.

"It doesn't matter. Don't leave someone you love without saying goodbye."

10k looked at her for a moment and then he turned around returning to Doc. Red heard the soft words of farewell and turned away. It was a personal moment for 10k and he deserved to have that with Doc. While 10k said his goodbye, Red wondered over to the ladder. She climbed up to look over where 5k had jumped. She didn't see anything, but they were so high it was hard to make out was below them.

"Let's go," 10k said appearing by her side again. His eyes were guarded and his face was set in determination.

"You can stay with him," Red said hoping desperately that he wouldn't. "I can search for 5k on my own."

"No, if the kid needs me I'm going to be there," 10k said. "Just like Doc would come searching for me. He understands I know he does. And he'll be safe with Sun Mei."

"Okay, then let's go," Red said picking up her weapon. "I don't know how to get to this side of the mountain from the way we came in. Our only option is to climb down."

"You lead and I'll follow," 10k said.

Red started heading down the mountain. It was a steep climb down, more of a scale than a climb really. They had to take it slow and even then both she and 10k had more than one close call. Red wanted desperately to look down towards where her brother's body might be lying broken and dead, but she knew looking down would just make the journey harder. Her arms ached and her fingers were bleeding by the time they reached halfway.

"How are you doing?" Red asked 10k.

"I've been better," he said with white knuckles clutching the rocks next to her own. They were climbing side by side. Occasionally using a hand to right the other one if they lost their balance. They had stopped twice on small ledges for a rest and they both seemed to desperately need another.

Red chanced a look down. She forced her eyes away from the ground, afraid of the height and whatever horrors lay below. Instead, she focused her attention only on the rock wall.

"There's another ledge maybe twenty feet down," Red said. "Can you make it?"

"Not much of a choice, is there?" 10k asked and started to climb again.

They made it to the ledge in one piece. Red looked down at her hands and found them shaking. She tried to still them to no effect. She looked up at 10k. He still had dark purple circles under his eyes and he was paler than he should have been. She had nearly forgotten that he had died and been brought back just a few hours ago.

"Drink some water," Red said handing 10k her jug. "We'll make it. We're over half way now."

"Thanks," 10k said taking the water from her hand.

"Are you feeling okay?" Red asked him. "You did just die of an infection, be bitten by Murphy and come back to life a few hours ago."

"Surprisingly, I feel fine," 10k said. "Not stronger necessarily, but more like my old self. Before Murphy's first bite."

"That's good," Red said. She had so many questions, but they'd have to wait for a better time than on a tiny ledge on the side of a mountain.

Red and 10k stood silent for a few moments enjoying the break. Red knew they should start to move again, but wanted to know one more thing before they continued.

"Have you looked down yet?" Red asked 10k not sure what she was hoping for in his answer.

"Yes," 10k said looking at her hesitantly.

"Do you see him?"

"No, there's a murder of crows blocking the view."

"Crows?" Red asked looking down abruptly. She started to sway forward. At the same time she registered she was about to fall, 10k's arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her back to the ledge and back to him.

"Red, careful!"

10k left his arm around her even after she found her footing again. He pulled her in close to him and they both breathed heavily. The adrenaline from the climb, the near fall, and finding 5k was pumping through her veins and making her reckless. She knew it and now so did 10k. She needed to get off this mountain.

"I'm good," Red said, but didn't move away. "We should keep going."

10k didn't say anything, but he silently let go of her go. Red continued to lead and took the first step down off their ledge. Fueled by the image of the crows, Red began to climb faster until she pulled ahead of 10k. At her new pace, it didn't take too much longer for Red to make it to the ground.

As soon as her feet hit the floor she turned towards the crows who were still going crazy, and that's when she saw 5k. He was standing right at the center of the birds. He was turned away from her, but he was there. She was sure of it.

Red clamored over the rocks to get closer and then stopped. He was gone – 5k had disappeared. She stood still and looked closer trying to find 5k among the black birds. A second later, the murder dispersed. In the spot right where she had seen 5k standing just a moment before, lay a mangled body.

Red couldn't breathe. The body was so badly destroyed it was just blood, bones and flesh crushed into the grass. She closed her eyes and looked away from the hideous pile.

Red wanted to cry but tears wouldn't come. She opened her eyes to look up at 10k. He was frozen in place looking at where the body lay. She let her head fall, but then she thought of the murder of crows and the tiny person she had seen standing among them. The body wasn't 5k's it couldn't have been she was sure of it.

"Red we should go," 10k said from behind her. She looked up to see him scampering over the rocks to where she stood. She turned away from him and looked at the destroyed body, again.

"I saw him," Red mumbled to herself. She wasn't sure if 10k could even hear her and she didn't care. She would tell him eventually, for now, she just needed to hold on to the thought. "I saw him. He was there."

"Red," 10k said as he reached her. When she didn't respond he shook her lightly. "We don't know if Zona is coming back we should go."

"10k, you don't understand. I saw him standing with the crows," Red said trying to get him to believe her.

"Red," 10k said pulling her into a hug. "I want to believe that but the body and the crows. It has to be him."

"But I saw him," Red whispered into his chest. "Four people jumped off the cliff. That could be any of them."

"That's true," 10k said pulling away and looking down at her. His eyes looked hesitant, but he continued, "We have just over 24 hours to make it to the rendezvous point. Let's look around here tonight and tomorrow morning. But if we don't find him we have to move on."

"Okay," Red said content with that compromise. She knew that if it was anyone but 5k she would have been pushing to leave. With the threat of zombies and Zona, she knew it was stupid to scour the woods in search of someone, but she would never forgive herself if she didn't even try to look for 5k.

"You lead," 10k said from behind her. Red nodded silently and started heading into the woods screaming 5k's name.

* * *

The plan for this story is to make it a long-form fic about Red and 10k and their lives in the two years between S4 and S5. I'm warning you now - this is a project I'll just be working on in my free time and updating randomly. There's just not enough Z Nation fanfic! I couldn't help myself.


	2. Chapter 2

Red's throat was dry. In the apocalypse, it was always dry, of course, but now it burned in a way that she had never experienced before. She had been screaming into the woods for hours with the only break coming in the form of tired gasps when zombies wandered out of the trees' shadows to meet her. When Red saw them staggering towards her, she would stop screaming 5k's name so that and she and 10k could quickly kill the zombies before continuing their search.

The sun had fallen and they were searching using only the dim light of dusk. Soon that would leave them too and they would be forced to stop. Red knew they should have already started gathering firewood, but she couldn't bring herself to stop her search or her screams.

Part of her wished she could give it up. For both her and 10k's survival it would be better, but she couldn't – not with 5k gone. Red feared it would be a long time before she stopped looking. Even if they gave it up for the night.

There had been no sign of 5k since she saw him between the crows. No footsteps, no pieces of clothing, no blood, no trail at all. It didn't make any sense. It wasn't just 5k, except for the one body, there was no indication that the Man, Addy or Lucy had been there either. Where was everyone else? The mystery swirled around Red's mind and fueled her determination.

She considered voicing her questions out loud, but she knew 10k would just give her a short response. 10k hadn't said much since they started their search, but that wasn't too abnormal. He very rarely spoke, to begin with. She was the one usually pulling him into a conversation and forcing laughs from his chest and smiles to his face. They were far from that easy bliss now.

He was beginning to get agitated – she could tell. It was getting late and 10k was too smart to be wandering through the woods shouting 5k's name in the dark. He had stopped shouting over an hour ago, so now it was just her voice that rang out.

She knew it was wrong but that angered her. Every time she heard only herself and then looked at him, she was frustrated. He was supposed to care about 5k. Her brother looked up to him, dressed like him, loved him – how could 10k be so callous.

"We need to stop for the night," 10k said while stopping abruptly.

Dusk was leaving them and soon they would be in the dark.

"We can't stop," Red said firmly. "We haven't found 5k yet."

"Red, we can't keep going like this through the woods at night. It's too dark."

"I know it's getting dark, which is why we can't stop. 5k needs us. He won't be able to survive out here alone at night."

"Red," 10k said hesitantly. "He's…"

"No, don't say it. Don't you dare say it."

"He's not out here," 10k said. "He didn't survive the jump. We saw him, Red."

"No," Red said shaking her head. She felt tears sliding down her cheek and she realized this was the first time she'd cried over 5k since she'd seen him go over the mountain's edge. "I saw him!"

"I want to believe that you did, but we haven't been able to find any sign of him and the body—" 10k's voice broke, but he cleared his throat and continued, "the body was so small."

"It wasn't him!" Red said shaking her head. "It was the Man or Addy or Lucy. It wasn't him."

"Maybe, maybe," 10k said giving up. "I hope it was the Man and that the rest of them are alive somewhere in these woods, but we can't keep searching tonight."

"We have to keep looking. You said we could search until tomorrow," Red begged.

"And we can continue looking tomorrow morning _with_ the light," 10k said. He tried to reach out to her but she pulled away. "It's not safe."

"It's not safe for him," Red screamed. "Why don't you care about 5k? Did you ever care about him or was it just a way to get close to me?"

10k's eyes bugged and he took a full step back. She knew immediately she had gone too far. The hurt was written clearly on his face. Red knew he loved 5k and he was right about stopping for the night. She just didn't want to hear it.

"10k, I'm sorry," Red said taking a step forward towards him. "I didn't mean it."

He took a step back in retreat. There was a long moment of silence. His eyes were downcast, but she could see them tracking back and forth as if he were trying to solve a puzzle. She was overcome with a wave of guilt.

"Is that really what you think?" 10k asked in a small voice.

"No," Red said quickly. "I was just angry."

"I want him to be alive," 10k said.

Red wanted to immediately correct him and tell him that 5k was alive, but instead, she swallowed the response and tried to meet him halfway.

"But you don't believe he is?" Red asked already knowing the answer.

"I don't," 10k said. "But if you do, you should keep believing. It's possible."

"If it's possible then we have to keep looking," Red said in a resigned voice. Even though she wasn't admitting it, she knew that they had to stop. They couldn't wait any longer to find shelter for the night. Red looked up to 10k with tear filled eyes. 10k finally broke the distance and went to hug her.

"We can't," 10k said into her hair. "It's not safe and we have to stay alive."

"It's not fair," Red cried. "This whole fucking world, it's not fair."

10k didn't say anything, but he continued to hold her. They stayed in that position for a long time. If they had lived a normal life, pre-apocalypse they might have stayed in each other's arms until Red's tears dried and 10k's t-shirt was soaked through, but that's not the world they lived in.

At the sound of the now familiar zombie groan, 10k and Red broke apart. They quickly killed off the zombies. As she brought her sneaker down to bash in the head of the last remaining zombie, Red thought fondly of the fantasy she had briefly cooked up.

She looked over at 10k to see him with his gun out surveying the area. Two zombies lay on the ground by his feet. She thought of them hugging in each other's embrace until they were cold and tired and decided to go home where he would continue to comfort her all night. He would kiss her slowly and softly as if they had all the time in the world because in the fantasy they did. It was a nice thought but, she supposed, if there wasn't an apocalypse she wouldn't need comforting in the first place. Red let her thoughts linger for a second longer and then she let them go. Fantasies were useless if they were dead.

"You're right," Red said. "We should find a place to camp for the night."

"You're sure?" 10k asked.

She appreciated that he asked. He knew that she had made her mind up. She wondered what he'd do if she said no and asked him to continue looking. She had a strong feeling that he would do as she asked, even knowing that it was the wrong choice.

"Yes," Red said. "We have to survive if we ever want to find 5k another day."

10k nodded and then pointed to a nearby tree, "That looks good for climbing. We can climb up and we should be safe for the night."

"Sounds good," Red said.

They walked over to the tree. Red looked up surprised by the height and unsure of how to get up. 10k must have seen her hesitation because he knelt down and threaded his fingers in front of her to provide a step. Red put her hands up to test the distance. She was too short to firmly grasp the tiny branches let alone the sturdy bough that would hold her weight. As fast as she could, she stepped up into 10k's offered hands and, at the same time, pushed herself off the ground. 10k pushed her up with his hands and with the extra momentum, Red was lifted high enough for her hands to clasp firmly around a sturdy branch. From here she pulled herself up until she was sitting on the biggest branch coming out of the trunk. Once settled, she slid back and looked down at 10k. She must have been over 7 feet up because her dangling feet just barely reached 10k's head.

"How are you going to get up?" Red asked from above.

"Here, hold this," 10k said handing her his gun.

She took it from him and slung it over her shoulder. Then she watched 10k as he backed away from the tree. He looked between the ground and the branch she had used to pull herself up. He seemed to be thinking and then, all of sudden, he broke into a sprint. When he was a foot away he jumped and managed to get one hand connected with the branch. He used it to pull himself up until he was sitting on the bough across from her. Once he looked stable, Red handed him his gun back. 10k muttered a sound of thanks and Red nodded.

"How did you know you would be able to jump that high and then pull yourself up?" Red asked.

"Back before I was living with the others, I used to sleep in trees or on top of cars or buildings," 10k said shrugging. "Anything high enough so that the Zs couldn't get me."

Red nodded but didn't say anything. They spent a couple of silent minutes together with 10k staring into the treetops and Red staring at the bark below her, both of them occasionally let their gazes search out the other before darting away. It wasn't long before the quiet and stillness of the night caused Red to become drowsy. She didn't realize she was falling asleep until she started to sway and a hypnic jerk startled her awake. She had no idea how 10k had survived staying it trees when she couldn't sleep without fearing the fall.

Red tried to push the drowsiness away, but after a few more near falls she realized she wouldn't be able to make it through the night. Looking towards 10k who was looking at the trees she finally broke the silence.

"How did you sleep?" Red asked 10k.

"Huh?" 10k asked looking over at her.

"When you used to climb up to be safe," Red specified. "How did you sleep?"

"Usually, I'd lean against the trunk and just sleep."

"I'm trying and I just feel like I'm going to fall," Red said turning to look at the trunk like it had betrayed her.

10k looked at the trunk as well as if he was considering something and weighing its benefits. He then looked back at Red. He looked a bit sheepish and then said, "I have an idea."

Before Red could respond, 10k stood up. Red let out a sound of surprise. She was concerned the bough would break and they'd both fall. When the branch held strong, she turned her worry to him losing his balance and falling. Instead, 10k gracefully walked over to her and then somewhat awkwardly stepped around her. She shuffled forward and then felt his body slip down behind her. Still, with her body facing away from him she turned her head to see him looking at her. He had an odd look in his eyes. It seemed like nervousness, but she couldn't figure out why he'd be feeling nervous since he had made it to a safe sitting position.

"Scoot back," 10k said patting the space between his legs and then opening his arms. "I'll hold on to you so you don't fall."

"Are you sure you're that steady?" Red asked but she was already slowly shuffling her butt backward towards him.

"I made it three years regularly sleeping like this," 10k said looking down at her and giving her his shy crooked smile.

"Works for me," Red said. She wanted to return his smile, but she just wasn't ready yet. With 5k gone, it still felt too soon for any kind of happiness, so instead, she just turned back around.

She had pushed herself close enough to him that her back was in contact with his chest. When she looked down, his thighs cradled hers perfectly. After a moment's pause, she felt his arms come around her waist. He held her tight and pulled her in closer to him before letting his arms rest on her thighs and clasped his hands in front of her.

Red relished the human contact. She let both her hands rest on his arms then she leaned back and placed her head on his shoulder. She tilted her head up and slightly to the side kissing him softly on his chin. He looked down at her with a soft expression. He leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips. When he pulled away, she put her head back on his shoulder and closed her eyes.

Still, with her eyes closed, she said, "I'm sorry again for today. The thing I said."

"You don't have to apologize," 10k said. Red's eyes were still closed, but his voice didn't sound hurt. He sounded like he understood.

"Yes, I do."

They fell back into silence. Red was just starting to fall asleep when she heard it.

"I'm sorry too," 10k whispered. "I wanted to find him. I really do."

Red was so near sleep she couldn't think of anything to say, but she thought that was okay. His voice had broken and been raw with emotion. He had whispered it to her for a reason and he was so rare to share his feelings. Instead of saying anything, Red just squeezed his arm and drifted to sleep.


End file.
